Many believe that social media gained its momentum within recent years, but this is actually not the case. The beginning of social media can be dated to nearly 20 years ago with the launch of the networking platform, “Six Degrees”, which allowed users to create a profile and “connect” with other users; this supported the basis of many social media outlets we see today. Seen as ahead of its time, it allowed users to create a profile and “connect” with other users. This supported the basis of many social media outlets we see today. The role of social media within public relations has introduced a new realm of “influencer” marketing, ultimately ending the era of one-way messaging and providing an interactive appeal and stronger customer engagement for many companies. Here are 3 ways you can modernize and build your business by implementing these social media tactics:
 
01. Personality
So often in life we are told that in order to succeed, we must be our true, authentic selves. This rule of thumb also applies to social media. When analyzing what practices successful business social media profiles are following, one of the most widely recognized traits is the charisma of the business. For example, Wendy’s is widely known for their quirky, fun personality showcased throughout all of their social media platforms. Immediately upon viewing their Twitter profile, their bio states: “We like our tweets the same way we like to make hamburgers: better than anyone expects from a fast food joint.” With nearly 3 million followers on Twitter alone, Wendy’s has surpassed KFC, Taco Bell, Burger King and Subway in follower engagement.  While Wendy’s is not the first and only brand to reference pop culture in their content, their ability to remain relevant despite having opened their doors nearly 50 years ago.
 
02. Engagement
Throughout classic public relations, consumers have found themselves not necessarily engaging with the company, but more so having campaigns and media storytelling simply spoken at them. With the introduction of social media, companies were able to not only engage with their audiences in a more intimate way, but increase the amount of feedback presented by their followers. As the basis of social media is to further connect and “network” with one another, it thrives off of conversation. In February of 2014, Caribou Coffee pulled off a PR stunt so elaborate, it nearly shut down the Mall of America. With the help from brand agency Colle+McVoy, on the ground floor of the largest mall in the country stood a 5-story interactive Pinterest board which represented different inspirations for their newest coffee blend. “Inspiration” being the key word, as their momentum for this project was to capture the essence of their fans through what influences them the most. They began by filling their corporate Pinterest profile with motivational photos for their followers, such as quotes, unique photos, and potential ingredients for their future coffee. They also began a campaign to become more inspired by their audience, which entailed the hashtag #InspireCaribou. This hashtag allowed fans and followers to share their own inspiring photographs for Caribou to view and take note of. Some of these included a tropical rainforest, a group of friends surrounding a smoky bonfire, or a continuous silky waterfall. All of these photos represented not only the followers, but also notes of how their future coffee should taste. This genius campaign not only intrigued Caribou’s fans, but also allowed them to feel empowered and as if their personal inspirations meant a tremendous amount to the company.
 
03. Transparency
With so much traffic accumulated by “influencers” of their respected fields, public relations professionals have taken note of just how critical these marketing tactics have become in terms of product promotion, campaign momentum and overall public persona. One of the many reasons for this being the consumers ability to relate to fellow bloggers and influencers, as they are not seen as mega corporations, but rather just an honest opinion. For bloggers and influencers, their ability to connect with an audience based on factuality and trustworthy opinions is what drives their success. The opinions and product knowledge according to people’s favorite bloggers is an important component and on a much more relatable scale than a traditional celebrity endorsement. A great example of this is Katy Bellotte of thekatyproject.com. She is a YouTuber turned blogger that thrives off of the feedback from her fans. She posts honest, heartfelt and factual content pertaining to body image, being a millennial in the workforce and just life in general.
 
Social media has tremendously impacted modern public relations as it has undoubtably altered all traditional forms of public engagement. As our consumer climate changes, businesses must accommodate with it. Social media is one of the largest tools of consumer outreach accessible today, neglecting to increase public awareness through these channels is a neglect to proper business building.
 
 
           
            

Podcasts are changing the game and starting to become all the craze! Weekly podcast listeners averaged seven podcasts a week this year, compared to five in 2017. They’re perfect for us students with super crazy schedules who want to learn on the go. Whether you’re looking for something on education, technology, politics or entertainment, you’ll be sure to find a podcast on just about anything.
 
Many of us college students grew up using social media, we’ve seen it grow from something fun and social to a powerful business tool. No one knows social media better than college students, besides the pro’s of course! That being said, I tuned in to some social media marketing podcasts to get all the tea, and here are my top contenders:
 
1)    Social Media Marketing Podcast with Michael Stelzner

Michael Stelzner does a great job at making such an information packed podcast feel light and conversational. While his episodes are typically 40-50 minutes long, they are filled with weekly survival tips on algorithm, personal branding, engagement and analytics across all social sites. He also makes sure to include expert interviews and success stories from a variety of social media marketing pro’s. If you’re someone who likes consistency, Stelzner’s podcast would be a great choice because he posts episodes every week!

2.) Social Media Social Hour with Tyler Anderson

Tyler Anderson is the founder of both Casual Fridays and Scoreboard Social and is an expert in content marketing. Throughout the podcast he interviews brands and influencers on the importance of content marketing tactics and how to utilize them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube, Snapchat, Periscope, Pinterest and even Google+. Social Media Social Hour is a good choice for listeners who prefer shorter episodes. With some being as short as 24 minutes, you can speed through a few episodes within an hour.
 
 
3.) Perpetual Traffic By DigitalMarketer 
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Hosted by Ralph Burns from Tier 11  and Molly Pittman from Digital Strategy BootCamps, Perpetual Traffic is another weekly podcast that explores advertising and marketing but the star of the show is the idea of paid traffic. According to both Ralph and Molly, paid traffic is putting a product, service or message in front of a target audience with the hopes of acquiring customers online & building goodwill. With over 160 episodes and a five star rating, this mashup of paid traffic strategies with real agency experience makes the perfect podcast.
 
 
There are so many podcast out there for public relations students. Whether it’s social media marketing, digital marketing, advertising, or  SEO, there's a podcast waiting for you to tune in to it. What are some podcasts you recommend for students?